Late Nights at The Leaky Cauldron
by Jen Riddle
Summary: James Potter has been away for four years, and Lily Evans has vowed never to forgive him for abandoning her. But now he's back, and feelings linger. With the war going on, can James Potter get back his old life before it's too late? Very slightly AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Late Nights at The Leaky Cauldron  
Chapter 1 **

It had been years since James Potter had stepped foot in the dusty bar deemed the Leaky Cauldron. His footsteps were unheard over the chatter of patrons that filled the small room. James smiled in familiarity. Tom, the bartender, stood at his usual post, smiling his toothless grin at his customers. The lanterns on the wall occasionally flickered, just as he had remembered them too. James knew he was back home, back in England, and there was no where else he could imagine himself. How had he stayed away for so long? The cobblestones of Charing Cross Road felt good underneath his feet.

"Can I get a firewhiskey, Tom?" He asked the bartender. The man nodded, and then got a good look at the boy, his eyes widening.

"James Potter?" He asked, with a smile. "Merlin, I haven't seen you since you were just a boy!"

James half nodded. "All grown up now, Tom. I've been away for business." He pulled out a stool, scraping it against the wood floor, and took a seat.

"You still hanging around that Black boy? Sirius?" Tom asked. The pair were frequent customers back in the day. James smiled at the thought of him and his long haired companion spending nights here after work.

"Of course. We're Brothers." James replied. Though truthfully, James hadn't seen Sirius Black since he'd left the country. They frequently exchanged letters, but James was eager to see his friend again.

"How about your girl friend? That pretty red-headed girl? The two of you get married yet?" Tom inquired, as he served the glass of firewhiskey to James. This was the part he had been dreading - the questions about Lily. He didn't quite know how to answer them without making his mouth go dry and his heart drop.

"No." He sighed. "Never did."

James downed his firewhiskey in a few gulps, not very eager to be amongst the noise, and forced to make small talk with the bartender. He was tired, he'd had a long day. Tom eagerly obliged when James asked for a room, and gave him a key for room number 8. Though James knew the rooms at the Leaky Cauldron were nothing to write home about, they had a warming sense of comfort-ability for him. He remembered the days when he first started at the ministry, and he'd shack up at the 'Cauldron on nights he was too tipsy from celebrating with Sirius to properly apparate home. What he remembered most about them was how Lily would bicker with him about staying out late while there was a war going on.

The bed groaned generously as James sat down on it. He could have sworn bits of dust flew from the coverings, but he didn't worry about it. He was home. It had been much, much too long.

* * *

The sun woke him up the next morning. He'd forgotten to shut the blinds before he'd fallen asleep, and now he was paying for it. He picked up his watch from where he had placed it on the nightstand the night before.

7:30 am. _Bugger_.

He ran a hand through his messy black hair, and pulled himself out of bed. He'd never been able to fall back asleep after he'd woken up. He pulled on some appropriate clothes, placed his wire framed glasses on his face, and left the room.

Tom sat lazily behind the bar, an issue of The Daily Prophet clutched in his hands. The bar was much quieter than the previous night. A few young witches sat at one of the tables, gossiping excitedly over a copy of Witch Weekly, and an elderly man sat alone at the end of the bar, sipping on tea and pouring over a piece of parchment before him.

"Can I get a cup of tea, Tom?" James asked, standing in front of the bar. Tom looked up and nodded, setting down his copy of The Prophet. James grabbed a copy of the paper from a tray near the door, waited for his drink, and then took a seat at a lonely table on the far end of the room.

Absent-mindedly, he stirred the tea counter clockwise a few times, while studying the front page of the profit. It had been years since he'd received a copy of this. Nothing had changed, however. The prophet still didn't press the news, as much as it pressed the opinions of the public. It pressed what people wanted to hear. He flipped through a few pages, skimming articles here and there. Nothing interested him.

The back door was pushed open with a bang, causing everyone but the elderly man at the end of the bar to look up. A frazzled looking woman with red hair pulled tightly into a bun rushed inside. James looked back down at his paper, again, uninterested. He had had enough of loud noises and frantic people when he was away.

"Can I get a coffee, Tom?" She asked. Toms watery eyes looked at the girl, then over at James, and then back at the girl. He repeated this a few times. "Tom?" The girl asked, hurriedly.

Tom nodded, and went to retrieve the drink, eying the pair as he did so. The girl sighed at sat at the bar. Lily Evans was having a long morning, and it had only just started. She couldn't even imagine the state of her hair right now, she hadn't even had time to brush it. She felt disgusted when she remembered she hadn't even brushed her teeth and she knew bags were formed under her emerald eyes, but there was nothing she could do about it.

"Anything interesting in The Prophet this morning?" She asked, as Tom dropped her drink on the counter. Tom shook his head.

"Business as usual."

Lily scoffed, rolling her eyes in the process. Like they would even report if something had gone wrong.

She gulped down her drink, tipped the bartender, and walked to the front door, not entirely ready to brace London this early in the morning. In her tired state, she hadn't even noticed the raven haired boy sitting in the corner.

* * *

"Long night, Evans?" Drawled the middle aged woman at the reception hall to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. Lily sighed. The last thing she needed was for Miranda Peroy, the company gossip, to know about her previous 24 hours. Nor did she want to discuss it in front of the patrons who longingly awaited to be treated.

"Nothing I can't handle." She smiled vaguely as she made her way to the elevators, passing a man with a flowered teacup floating around him, which seemed to be viciously knocking him in the head every few moments.

Miranda laughed almost sinisterly. She had a knack for knowing when people were lying, as well as a knack for snooping. She had a grin on her face that seemed to warn Lily that she would get to the bottom of this.

"I'm sure." She purred, as Lily entered the elevator. Lily scowled and jammed the "Four" button. It illuminated, and the elevator doors shut tightly in front of her.

When the doors re-opened, the led Lily to a brightly lit room where numerous witches and wizards walked frantically back and forth, every which way. Lily marched straight to the check-in counter, and through the gate that led behind it.

"'Morning Talia." Lily yawned as she clocked in. A young brunette witch looked up from the clipboard she was holding. Her pale blue eyes met Lily's and immediately filled with concern.

"Merlin, Lily, are you alright?" She gasped, rushing towards her friend. She placed her cool, manicured hands on Lily's forehead, checking for a fever.

"I'm fine, Talia. Do I really look that awful?" She asked, struggling to catch her reflection in anything that shimmered.

"Nothing some chocolate can't fix." Talia smiled, pulling a piece from the pocket of her healers uniform. Lily thanked her friend, ate the piece, and felt warmth spread through her body. At least she certainly felt better. She pulled on her uniform, and followed her friend from the room. Apparently a witch had just been brought in due to a nasty accident with a backfiring jinx that now left her with two, irremovable, octopus-like tentacles sprouting (and regrowing when removed) from her sides. Only eight hours, and then Lily could finally get some rest.

* * *

By noon, James Potter was restless. He'd had his morning tea, read the profit (nearly twice), ate lunch at a small cafe, and moseyed down Diagon Alley. Though he was glad to see nothing had changed, he wasn't in the least bit used to the laid-back life-style. He hadn't planned to see his old friend Sirius until later in the day, but what else did he have to do? Following the directions Sirius had owled him a week prior, James found his way - by foot, as he was attempting to kill time - to the downtown flat that Sirius shared with (to James' utter surprise when he had heard) his long-term girlfriend.

James jabbed his finger into the button next to Apartment 7 on the calling board. A doorbell like sound rang from the machine. A few moments later, a groggy voice answered.

"Hello?" the person sounded exhausted.

"Sleeping this late, Sirius?" James asked, glee emanating through his voice.

"James?" The man asked. "You're early!"

"Are you not excited to see me?"

A buzzer sounded, and the front door popped open.

"You're ridiculous. Get up here." Sirius voice chortled through the machine.

Once inside the entrance hall, James made his way up the stairs and to apartment 7, on the second floor. He knocked twice, and a long haired man with an early 5 o'clock shadow opened, immediately engulfing James in a hug.

"Jamsie!" He joked.

"SIRIUS!" James rolled his eyes.

Sirius led James into the living room, where a wavy haired brunette girl sat in an arm chair, sipping a cup of tea. She, too, looked as if she had just woken up.

"Late night?" James asked to his old friend. Sirius shrugged, and winked at his girl friend.

"Cassie, James. James, Cassie." He introduced the two. James shook the woman's hand. She smiled delicately. She was gorgeous, just as every of Sirius previous endeavours had been, but there was something different about this one - it was obvious she was different, more lasting, than the rest. James silently admired her for finally being able to tame his dog of a friend.

"I've heard quite a lot about you." She spoke. Her voice was soft and tired.

"I can only imagine. Sirius and I got into quite a bit of trouble during our school years." James laughed, nudging his friend.

"Oh, I've heard! I've gotten to know Remus and Peter as well - trust me, I've heard it all." Cassie smiled.

"We weren't that bad!" Sirius protested, causing them all to laugh.

"And nearly causing one Severus Snape to be attacked by a werewolf isn't bad?" She asked, faking an appalled expression

"I'll have you know I saved his life!" James protested.

Sirius rolled his eyes "Should have let the little twit die. Rumor has it he's hanging out with Voldemort." Sirius eyes narrowed in concern, as he took a seat on the couch. James sat beside him, shaking his head at the turn in conversation. This was the last thing he wanted to discuss with his long-term friend.

* * *

It was raining when Lily left the Hospital. She stepped outside the double doors, and paused under the awning, cursing the rain. In her tired state, she didn't feel it would be appropriate to apparate. She looked back at the building - which now looked like an abandoned department store. She didn't want to go back in, but her knees were growing wobbly, and her eyes droopy. Lily sighed, did a swift bit of magic on a stick on the sidewalk, making sure no muggles were watching in the process, and held her newly transfigured umbrella above her head. The Leaky Cauldron wasn't far, she could get a room there for the night.

She dashed down the sidewalk as quickly as possible, dodging puddles and dirty-looking men begging for change in the process. Her legs were half ready to give-out when she finally reached the pub.

"Afternoon, Miss Evans." Tom eyed her as she pulled the door closed. She closed her umbrella, and placed it in the stand beside the door.

"Afternoon, Tom. Can I get a room?" She asked, squeezing water from her hair.

A mischievous grin spread over Toms face as he grabbed a key for room number 8, and handed it to the ginger headed girl. Lily thanked the man, placed some money on the table, and escorted herself to the room.

Lily sighed as she entered the room. It brought back so many memories that she hadn't let herself dwell on in years. She almost laughed as she remembered the nights she would bicker with James because he would get too drunk off firewhiskey to apparate home without splinching himself. He'd stay at The Leaky Cauldron with Sirius, and late at night, Lily would sneak into their room, curl into bed with James, and fall asleep with his arms around hers.

Lily shook the thoughts from her head. That was a long time ago.

James re-entered the pub well past closing time. Tom the bartender was already asleep, it seemed, and the lamps around the room were extinguished. Nothing, save the portraits on the walls, stirred. James fumbled to find his key from his pocket as he made his way up the stairs. Just as he was thinking that he and Sirius may have indulged in one to many firewhiskeys - he jammed the key into the door. The room was dark, but James was far too tired to even flick on the light. He took off his pants, shoes, socks, and shirt and crawled into the bed. His eyes were closing, and he was about to fall asleep when - an arm fell over his body.

His eyes shot open, and he sat straight up, flicking on the light on the nightstand in the process.

A redheaded girl was sprawled out on the bed beside him. Her hair covered her face, but the rest of her was most certainly exposed. She slept, like him, in nothing but her underwear.

James carefully removed the woman's arm from his chest, jumped off the bed, and pulled on his pants. He wrenched open the door, double checking the brass number that was fastened to the wood. Room number Eight... He checked his key... room number 8...

The girl must be in the wrong room.

He re-entered the room, and shook the girls shoulder. She swatted the hand away, lazily.

"Ma'am..." James begged. The girl jolted up, pulling her hair from her face in the process.

Before James could even register what was going on, Lily Evans shrieked.

"Wuh-what are you doing here?" She asked, pulling the covers to her chest.

"Lily?" James asked, eyes wide.

"Get out of my room!" She added.

"This is my room!" James protested, pulling out his key. Lily shook her head, and grabbed hers off of the bedside table.

"Tom gave this room to me hours ago, Potter." Lily growled.

"Oh are we back to that?" James was close to laughter. "I haven't seen you in four years - and you can't even call me by my first name?"

Lily huffed. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Trying to sleep!"

"I mean in England, James!"

James took a deep breath. "My four years is up."

Lily blinked. James Potter, her Hogwarts sweetheart had returned to England.

"I'm going to get a new room." Lily stood from the bed, hastily pulling on her clothes, and left the room. James followed her, planning to say a few choice words to the in-keeper as well.

The found his room at the end of the hall, and banged very loudly.

"Tom!" James shouted through the wood.

The man begrudgingly opened the door, annoyed at being woken from his slumber.

"What is it?" He asked.

"This man was in my room!" Lily began.

"Your room? It was my room first!" James argued. Tom rubbed his eyes.

"Quiet, Quiet! You'll wake the whole damn place." He commanded.

"I need a new room, please, Tom." Lily pleaded.

Tom shook his head. "Sorry, no-can-do. The whole place is filled. The storms' brought everyone in. No one likes to apparate in lightning."

Lily's eyes narrowed. "Please, Tom. I can't sleep in the same room as ... _him_" She quieted her voice with the last word.

"Unless you want to sleep on the bar, that looks like your only option." Tom replied, shutting the door. Lily turned on her heal, and marched back to the room.

"Looks like we're sharing a room-" James began.

"Fat chance." She replied. She grabbed one of the two pillows and the blanket from the bed.

"Where are you going?" James questioned, surprised.

"To sleep on the bar!" Lily demanded, carrying her sleeping necessities down the stairs. James chased after her.

"Lily, you can't possibly -"

"-Don't tell me what I can't do, Potter." She replied, her eyes fierce with meaning.

"This is stupid!" He retorted. "Just come back to the room."

"I'm not sharing a bed with you!" She raised her voice so that it was nearly shrill. James shook his head at the woman he once loved.

"I'll sleep on the floor." James replied.

"Thanks for the offer, but we all know chivalry is dead, and I can take care of myself."

James sighed. "Please, Lily. You can't sleep down here. The roof leaks, and people enter and exit all night, you'll never get a wink of rest."

Lily looked at the bar, where little spurts of water now lay, dropping from the ceiling. She hated to admit it, but James was right.

She pulled her blanket and pillow back up to the room, throwing them on the floor when she entered, and throwing _herself_ on top of it.

"You're going to sleep on the floor?" James laughed. Lily didn't reply. "Fine, suit yourself." James smiled, jumped into the bed, and clicked off the light.

After an hour of tossing and turning on the hard floor, Lily was annoyed. _Why_ had she given up the bed to him? _Why_ did her desire to not let him get to her put her in this position? She had no choice, if she wanted any sleep before work tomorrow, she would have to get into the bed - with or without James.

She grabbed her pillow and blanket, and slowly made her way to the other side of the bed, her only light being the lightning that struck every few seconds. Careful as could be, as not to wake James, she crawled into the bed.

"I knew you'd see it my way." James murmured in a tired voice.

"Shut up." Lily replied. But James Potter was already smiling, he had missed his stubborn ex-girlfriend.

* * *

**A/N: I know, I know - I really should not be starting another story. But I just started writing, and this is what came up, and the more I wrote, the brighter my ideas became. And I'm really into this story, and where I plan to take it. I hope you guys are too! My other story (And Thats When A Bludger Came Through My Window) is more simple than this story is/will be. This one is much more plotted, and has a bigger back story. Hopefully it'll be better written and more descriptive as well. And hey, longer chapters! Anyway, I hope you enjoy. Please please please review!**

**-Jen Riddle.  
August 9th 2010 **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N Welcome back! Thank you so very very very much to everyone who reviewed, and a special thanks to the wonderful people who are reading both this, AND my other story! :) Every time I get the 'new email!' Alert on my phone, I get so excited. (Unfortunately, sometimes It's junk mail and/or 'your watched item is ending soon' reminders from ebay. ) Anyway, I'm quite pleased with how this chapter went, so please please please keep up with the reviews. Remember, Fanfiction authors only except tips in the form of reviews. ;) - Jen Riddle.**

* * *

**Late Nights at The Leaky Cauldron**  
**Chapter 2 **

When Lily awoke the next morning, the first thing she noticed was her head rising and falling in turn with her breathing. Her eyes flickered open immediately. That wasn't her breathing - it was James Potters. Her head was resting on his smooth chest. She jumped up quickly, freeing herself from James muscular arm that was draped around her body. His arm landed limply on the comfortable bed just as Lilys feet landed on the hard wood floor, causing a thud.

James sideways cocky smile played across his face. "Goodmorning, Love." He murmered sleepily.

Lily grimaced at the thought of having shared the bed with him last night, and _how_ had she wound up with his arm around her and her head on his chest, anyway?

"I'm not your love, James." She scowled. He laughed, exposing perfectly white teeth.

"I'm sure that's not what you were thinking last night." He winked. Lilys mouth opened in a shocked and disgusted expression.

"What I do or do not do in my subconscious means nothing!" She cried. This only caused James to laugh again. He grabbed his glasses from the bedside table, and placed them on his face, finally able to see the redheaded beauty clearly. He couldn't help but smile at her messy bed-headed hair.

Lily rolled her eyes, and exited the room. The last thing she needed was James Potter ogling her. He was no longer a part of her life, and she had no inclination to let him back in.

Once downstairs, she walked straight to the bar.

"Have a good sleep?" Tom asked innocently. Lily glared at him, and he backed away, grabbing her a cup of coffee and placing it on the bar in front of her. "I see you're not a morning person."

Lily ignored the man and downed the cup, needing a pick me up after the previous night, and placed the empty cup back on the bar in a matter of seconds. She then grabbed a copy of _The Prophet_, and sat down at one of the tables.

"Lets try this again." She heard James voice emanate from over her paper. "Good morning, Lily."

She heard the chair scrape on the wooden floor, and she knew he was sitting down.

"Please find another table." She replied simply, not looking up from the article on the proper way to de-gnome your garden that she was hopelessly skimming.

"But it's _so _full in here, can't we share?" He asked politely. Lily rolled her eyes and set down the paper. There was less than a dozen other customers in the dingy bar.

James grabbed the paper from her. "De-gnoming, eh, Lily? I never took you for a gardener."

Lily snatched it back from him automatically. "Did you come here to get your morning tea, or to badger me about my reading choices?"

James took that as his cue to get up from the table and fetch himself a cup of tea. He returned with the warm cup in his hands, and sat back down. Lily sighed.

"Assuming you have a garden to de-gnome - does this mean you left our old flat?" James inquired curiously.

"Of course I did, James. There was nothing left for me there." She replied icily.

Ignoring her tone of voice, James pressed on. "What did you do with my things?"

Lily blinked a few times. "The flat is still_ there_, James. I just moved out."

It was now James turn to blink stupidly. "Well - where do you live?"

"That is really none of your business, James." Lily picked her paper back up, hoping to block him out again.

"Why did you stay here last night?" James pressed on. Lily turned the page in her paper, pretending to ignore him. She was now attempting to lose herself in an article about a famous wizard who had divorced his pretty blond wife. _Is this really what people cared about?_ She thought in exasperation.

"Fine. Don't tell me." James replied, crossing his arms. He leaned in closer to Lily, pulling down the paper. "Maybe you've forgotten, but I work for the Ministry. I have a way of finding out everything."

Lilys eyes narrowed at him, her piercing orbs staring directly into James. James smiled playfully. "Maybe you forgot, Potter," she started, leaning even closer to him so that their noses were almost touching. James breathing shortened as he brought in her scent. "but I'm particularly good at potions. It would be such a pity if your morning tea was poisoned."

She smiled ruefully, snatched the paper back from James, and left the building.

_Damn, he loved that girl_, James thought as he leaned back in his chair, placing his arms behind his head. A confident smile was plastered across his handsome face.

* * *

"Miss Evans." Snarled Miranda Peroy as Lily was about to reach the elevators at the reception hall of St. Mungos. Lily sighed, she had thought Miranda hadn't even noticed her over her obsessive reading of Witch Weekly. "Weren't you wearing that yesterday?"

Lily chose to ignore the woman, and found her way to the back room of Floor Four.

"You look like you've gotten some rest." Talia smiled as Lily entered the room. Lily took to the mirror and began pulling her hair into a bun. "Though I do believe you wore that outfit yesterday. Did you even go home last night?"

"I got a room at The Leaky Cauldron last night." Lily answered simply.

Talia's eyes widened, and she stifled a laugh. "You didn't want to go home that badly, that you took a room at The Leaky Cauldron?"

"I'd rather not remember it." She answered, pulling her uniform on.

"I know the Cauldron is no 5 star hotel, but it's not that bad." Talia raised an eyebrow at her friend.

"Oh it has nothing to do with the inn itself, but more the company it keeps."

"Did Tom try pulling the moves on you?" Talia gasped, a smile curling on her face. "I always knew he was an old perv-"

"It wasn't Tom, Talia. James is back." Lily sighed, and sat down on a stool, taking in a deep breath.

"James?" Talia asked. "James Potter?"

Lily nodded simply, her bright green eyes filling with resentment.

"Oh boy." Talia muttered quietly, taking a seat beside Lily. "Is this why you and Drake have been butting heads?"

"Of course not! I only just found out James is back." Lily replied quickly, furrowing her eyebrows. Her sour relationship with her live-in boyfriend had nothing to do with her cocky, arrogant, self-centered, immature ex-boyfriend.

Talia raised a teasing eyebrow at her friend, and the girls left the room together, ready to start their day of fixing jinxed witches and wizards, all along gossiping quietly about the return of James Potter.

* * *

"It's so nice to see you again, James. I'm glad you made it home safely." Spoke a handsome man with straight, dark brown hair, glimmering brown eyes, and an easy smile.

"You and I both, Edgar." James smiled slightly at the man. James hadn't seen Edgar Bones in nearly four years, though the two had traded scarce letters from time to time.

The duo were not the only ones in the dingy, dark, and dusty room. Along with them was a dozen other witches and wizards, all crammed into the small, undetectable room. This was the first meeting of The Order Of The Phoenix that James Potter had been to in years.

"Quiet, Quiet!" Ordered a grizzly haired man at the front end of the dark oak table than many of the witches and wizards sat around. Alastor Moody had an air of respect from the rest of the table. "Dumbledore and a few others couldn't be here tonight, so lets begin without him."

A few murmurs spread from around the table, wondering where Albus Dumbledore could be. This ceased immediately as Moody slammed a fist on the table. Just as he had received silence from his peers, the door to the room slammed open, causing many of the group to raise their wands in nervous speculation. However, the person rushing through the door meant no harm to the group.

"I'm sorry I'm late." Lily Evans panted, clearly out of breath. The patrons of the room all lowered their weapons, and continued their silence. Lily Evans closed the door quietly behind her, and found herself a seat near the back of the room.

"Would you like to begin, Mr. Potter?" Moody asked to the raven haired boy across the table. Lily Evans nearly jumped out of her seat - she hadn't noticed the man next to her.

James cleared his throat. "There's not much to tell." He began.

"Did you find anything? Did you find him?" Interrupted Benjy Fenwick in a worried voice. James sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"I didn't go specifically looking for him. You have to understand that. Technically, I was still under Ministry supervision. I had places to be at certain times, certain days. Though my personal focus was on finding his whereabouts, his travel patterns, his hide outs..."

"And?" Pressed Gideon Prewett.

"Yeah, did you find anything?" Continued the boys brother, Fabien.

James looked at the ceiling for a moment, worried about continuing his speech.

"You been gone for four years, and you came back with nothing, didn' you, Potter?" Laughed Mundungus Fletcher.

A chair scraped backwards and flew into a wall, Sirius Black was on his feet, glareing at the criminalesque wizard. "He's been doing a right lot more than you have, Fletcher!"

"Sit down!" Barked Moody. Every ones eyes were wide, glancing between Sirius and Mundungus and taking in the intensity of the moment. Sirius continued standing, staring down Mundungus Fletcher, his hand gripped tightly around his wand. Mundungus cowered slightly in his chair. Sirius eyes flickered to his best friend, who had put his arm on his shoulder.

"Listen, everyone, I really shouldn't be discussing this yet. I still have to go over my notes, and I'd like to speak with Dumbledore..." James began. Sirius picked his chair back up and sat down, not taking his furious eyes off of Mundungus Fletcher.

"Very well." Growled Moody. He took a deep breath, and began to press into other matters.

James glanced at the woman next to him. Her head hair cascaded down past her shoulders, her arms were crossed, and her eyes were stuck to whoever happened to be talking. Last time they had been in a meeting together, they were happily in love. So much had changed over the past four years.

Lily sneezed quietly and quaintly, covering her face as she did so.

"Bless you." James spoke in a whisper. Lily's eyes darted to his, as if she had been working hard to avoid his contact, and finally given up.

"Thank you." She answered quietly, and then ripped her eyes, almost forcefully, away from his.

He couldn't help but smile subtly.

_"You're... leaving?" She asked quietly. She sat on a dark blue couch in front of a large ceiling to floor window - the moonlight reflected in her eyes. James took a deep breath._

_"I have to." He said quietly._

_"For four years?" She asked. He noticed the tears pool into her eyes. They didn't hesitate in spilling over._

_"I have to, Lily." He reminded her._

_"You're leaving for a - a job?" She bit her lip. He could tell she wasn't grasping this._

_"I'm trying to find him." He sighed._

_"Why can't someone else go?" She demanded, sniffling. He pulled her soft, small hand into his._

_"I love you, Lily. I always have, and when I get back, I still will." He stared into her deep green eyes._

_"Please don't go." She begged, desperately._

_"I have to!" He squeezed his eyes shut, exasperated._

_"Please." She whispered, sqeezing his hand._

She had begged him not to go... and he had left anyway. James silently cursed himself for leaving. He never expected her to wait for him. In fact, he told her not to. It was he who broke up with her. He told her it would be easier on the both of them, if there was no ties. What killed James even more was how Lily seemed completely detached from him, now.

James was awoken from his thoughts when Sirius clapped him on the shoulder. "What do you say to drinks at the Cauldron tonight?" He asked, a wide grin plastering his face.

James smiled back at him. "Just like old times, huh?"

Sirius nodded excitedly, and the two stood from their chairs, intending to exit the room. James paused, however, when he overheard the conversation Lily was having with Alice Longbottom.

"You and Drake _have_ to come over for dinner sometime." Alice, a short girl with a round face and a very short hairstyle, assured Lily.

Lily smiled slightly, and quited her voice. "Things have been ... sort-of a mess, lately."

Alice raised an eyebrow. "Aren't the two of you still together?"

Lily paused for a moment, running a hand through her red hair as she did so. "Honestly, I'm not sure. I'm staying at The Leaky Cauldron."

Alice put her small hands on her hips and shook her head. "Come stay with Frank and I!"

"Oh, I couldn't -"

"-Lily honestly, The Leaky Cauldron is no home."

Lily thanked the girl and politely declined again.

"James! Come on!" Sirius called from the doorway. James took one last look at the two girls, and was on his way.

* * *

The Leaky Cauldron was buzzing with excitement when the two boys returned to the pub. Sirius marched straight to the bartender, pushing a few young witches out of the way while he did so, and ordered himself and his friend a few drinks, as well as a few for the witches (Who were now admiring him hopelessly) who he'd pushed out of the way.

"Sorry, M'Ladies." He winked at them, as he walked back through the throng of people to the only unoccupied table that James had located.

James shook his head at his friend when he returned. "You have a woman, Padfoot."

"Ah, but _they_ don't know that, _do they?_" Sirius laughed. James rolled his eyes. "Just because I'm committed, doesn't mean I can't excite a couple of young broads."

"You're impossible, you know that?" James laughed. The two raised their glasses to each other. "Some things never change."

Their mugs clinked against each other, and they each downed large gulps.

"So!" Sirius began when he set his mug back down on the small table. "Have you talked to Evans?"

_Leave it to Sirius to get right to the point. _James thought miserably. "A bit." He shrugged.

"You're a terrible liar, Prongs, always have been." Sirius tilted his head at his old friend.

"Ah, some things never change." James grinned.

"_Well?_"

"Well _what_?"

"You always _used_ to tell me about you and your little love bug, what are you hiding from me?" Sirius demanded.

"We may or may not have shared a room - _here_ - last night." James eyed his friend mischievously.

"_No_!"

"_Yes_!"

"_Why_?"

"I guess she just missed me so terribly that -" Suddenly, James was covered in ice cold water. It was dripping from every portion of his face and hair, drenching his shirt, and dripping all the way down to the dirty floorboards beneath them.

"Sorry, boys." Began Lily Evans, with a special sort of fire in her eyes. "I couldn't help overhearing your conversation."

Sirius looked at her wide-eyed, with a sense of adoration in his face. James was trying to clear the water from his glasses, but looked absolutely furious while doing so.

"Lets get a few things straight, shall we?" Lily smiled, while pulling up a chair. "James and I _did_ share a room last night - Sirius, wipe that grin off your face - but it was quite unwillingly and absolutely nothing happened. Now, are one of you boys going to buy me a new drink? I seem to have _lost_ mine."

"I think I love you." Sirius blurted, when Lily finished her speech. This only caused Lily to blurt out in giggles, and James to glare at his best friend angrily.

"_Well_?" Lily questioned, waiting for a new drink.

"I'm going, I'm going!" Sirius laughed. "You deserve a hundred drinks, for what you have done, Miss Evans."

Lily leaned back in her chair, quite pleased with herself, with a small smile on her porcelain face. She watched, her smile unfaltering, as James miserably cleared the water from himself with his wand.

* * *

_Jen Riddle_  
_August 12th 2010_

_Please Review!_


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: NEW CHAPTER, WOOOOH. :) I want to say thanks to the people who reviewed, and to the dozens of people who put this story on their alerts/favorites! It means so much to me! I would really really really like to get 10 reviews on this chapter, it would be awesome! Think we can make that happen? We made it happen on my other story, so it's totally possible on this one! Right? Right! :) - Jen Riddle.**

* * *

**Late Nights at The Leaky Cauldron**  
**Chapter 3**

Lily Evans awoke the next morning with pain searing through her head. She groaned at the bright light pouring through the open windows, and silently cursed the birds twittering joyously outside. She grabbed the pillow beside her and pulled it over her face.

What happened last night?

A soft snoring noise was heard from beside her. Her eyes popped open into the pillow. She carefully took it off, and looked next to her... the bed was empty. But then where was that noise coming from? Lily rolled over, and looked to the floor. Sleeping softly on a cot was James Potter. His glasses were skewed, still partially on his face, and he was drooling slightly. Lily had to stifle a laugh. She got up from the bed, ignoring the pain in her head, and pulled his glasses off of him, putting them on the bedside table. She then made her way out of the room and down the handsome staircase to the bar.

"I could really use a pick-me-up, Tom." She asked politely as she reached the bartender. The man smiled his tootheless grin at the girl and left to fetch such a drink. She turned around in her bar chair as she waited, and peered at the patrons. It must be nearly afternoon, as the bar was fairly busy. Most of the witches and wizards Lily had never seen before, but a few she recognized by face, and one, by name.

Tom set the drink next to Lily on the bar. She picked it up and walked towards where Drake Rockwell sat.

"Goodmorning." He cleared his throat as she approached.

"Goodmorning." She replied quaintly.

"So this is where you've been, hmm?" He questioned.

"I suppose." Lily sipped at her drink.

"And you've been gallivanting with your ex boyfriend?" He accused. Lily sat down her drink, and peered into the mans dark gray eyes. His brown hair was piled perfectly around his face, and Lily knew he was on his Lunch break from work due to the robes he was wearing.

"That's none of your business. Have you been having me tailed?" She asked suspiciously.

"I suppose it _is_ some of my business, Lily." He smiled almost too casually for the conversation.

"Oh, is it? If I recall, Drake, it stopped being your business when I returned home to see you and miss Penelope Applerow at our kitchen table - clothes and hair askew." Lily replied cooly.

Drake cleared his throat. "I thought we discussed this."

"I wouldn't call what we had the other night a discussion, as much as I'd call it a fight." Lily crossed her arms.

The man sighed. "Please come home."

Lily tried hard not to laugh. "You expect me to come home after that? I'm a forgiving person, but not to acts so _vile_."

"Lily, I'm sorry."

"I'm sure. And tell me, Drake, does miss Applerow still work for you?" She raised an eyebrow.

Drake said nothing, but instead stared at his thumbs as if his fingernails were quite amusing.

"Well then, Drake. I'll be seeing you around." Lily made to stand from her chair, but Drake stopped her, catching her arm.

"Please, Lily! The Leaky Cauldron is no place to live! And all your things are still at home! You've been wearing that outfit since you left!" Drake pleaded quite loudly.

Lily pulled her arm away as abruptly as possible, and stormed from the room. She could tell eyes were bearing into her, trying to figure out what had just happened, but she ignored them, and carrying her drink, made her way back to Room 8. She had a large lump in her throat that she tried hard to ignore as she re-opened the door.

James Potter was awake when she returned. In the hustle and bustle of what had just happened, she had forgotten he was sleeping in her room.

"I'm sorry, Lily, I couldn't get another room, Tom was already asleep and-"

"It's fine, James." Lily cut him off quietly.

"Oh, well... alright." James ran a hand through his hair. "Blimey, my head hurts."

Lily handed him her half devoured glass of whatever sort of hangover-cure Tom had given her. It certainly seemed to be helping. "Here. Tom made this for me."

James took it, and downed the half full glass in one gulp.

"James... what happened last night?" She asked simply. She couldn't remember anything besides a dozen fire whiskeys pouring down her throat.

James ran his hand through his hair again. "All I recall well is Sirius dancing upon one of the tables. Oh, and you poured an ice water over my head."

"You deserved that."

"Yes, probably." James laughed. Lily smiled half-heartedly at him.

"Shouldn't you be at work?" James inquired after a few moments of silence. Lily shook her head subtly.

"I'm working the night-shift tonight." She answered. James gave a quick nod, and then rose from his bed.

"Well, I'm off." He smiled briefly at Lily, brushed the wrinkles out of his pants, and left the room in an abrupt exit. Lily didn't even bother to ask where he was going so suddenly.

Lily sat on the egde of the old bed, the springs creaked under her weight. She stared at herself in the dusty mirror in front of her. She really aught to find something new to wear. No way could she make it a third day in the same outfit.

* * *

James ran a hand through his hair, taking in a deep breath of the mid-morning air as he did so. Why had he left so suddenly? Lily was being so nice to him, and she had the entire day with nothing to do. He had the perfect opportunity to have Lily in the palm of his hand, and he let her go. A paining guilt was nabbing at James chest. He cursed having things to do.

James tapped the correct brick on the back wall and watched as they all crumbled away to reveal a bustling street full of midday shoppers. Children ran around their parents, looking excitedly into store windows and begging for objects. Adults walked along merrily carrying large packages and small bags. James tried hard to contain his smile - There was nowhere in the world like Diagon Alley, and he was glad to have returned. His thoughts of the red-headed girl disappeared entirely.

He made his way through the crowds, excusing himself when he'd accidentally bump the elbow of a busy shopper. The street was more crowded than usual, it seemed - or maybe it had just been a while since he'd been there.

James made his way to the wizarding bank, Gringotts, and paused as he skimmed the inscription on the door - he'd always adored the poem, and rolled his eyes at the thought of someone attempting to rob this overly protected establishment. He slightly marveled in the fact that his and his parents wealth was more than enough to support any child he would have. _They_, certainly, would never have to attempt to rob Gringotts.

He pulled open the giant doors to Gringots, and stepped inside to see the bank was equally as busy as the street outside. Spotting the only free Goblin, he made his way to the desk. The creatures eyes squinted up at James expectantly.

"I'd like to make a withdrawl." James cleared his throat and adjusted his glasses, feeling slightly awkward.

"Name?" The old goblin asked in a croaking voice.

"Potter." James replied.

"Senior or Junior?" The Goblin requested.

"Junior." James answered.

"Key?"

James fished through the pocket in his jeans and pulled out the shimmering golden key from his pocket. He handed it to the old goblin who took it eagerly in his bony fingers. The Goblin inspected it for a moment, and then jumped down from his pedestal. James followed the creature - who was very very significantly shorter than him - and they made their way to the doors near the back, where a line of patrons were already waiting.

"Busy Day, huh?" James asked, trying to make conversation with the old goblin.

The Goblin looked up at him. "Hmph." Was all he replied.

James awkwardly ran a hand through his hair, and then observed the familiar-looking couple in front of him who were bickering quietly.

"That is the stupidest thing you could do!" Chocked the boy, hissing in the woman's ear. He narrowed his eyes on the woman next to him.

"This is infuriating!" The woman, a stocky being with short black hair pulled back into a ponytail, growled in a low voice.

"Do you want to make yourself known?" The boy raised his eyebrow at the girl.

James felt curiosity bubble in his chest as the girl refused to answer the boy. He had to bide himself not to react - he was no longer working, he wasn't following these people, and not everyone was a death eater. James shrugged it off, and forced himself to ignore the conversation in front of him.

"Mind sharing a cart?" Asked the old Goblin. James looked up from his thoughts to see that the bickering couple was waiting impatiently in the cart with just enough room for another person. James shrugged and climbed in.

The cart took off in a zig-zagging, up and down, side to side pattern that made James Potter feel slightly woozy. He was about to ask if they could slow down a bit when the cart came to a smashing halt in front of a darkly lit vault with the numbers 754 plastered on the front. The couple jumped from the cart, again whispering eagerly to each other, and waited for the goblin to open their door. Inside, from James Potters point of view, it looked nearly empty. The with and wizard entered anyway, and left a few moments later with something encased in a black bag. James looked the other way when the woman met his eye, and pretended he hadn't been watching.

"Did you go to hogwarts?" James asked curiously as they got back into the cart.

"Yes." snipped the girl quickly.

"When did you leave?" James pressed, ignoring the girls obviously rude tone.

"About four years ago." Answered the boy with a yawn.

"Ah! I left five years ago." Smiled James.

"How nice for you." Sneered the girl.

"What house were you in? Maybe we knew each other!" James continued.

"Slytherin." The boy replied with a slightly sinister smile.

Before James could continue, the cart came to a second screeching halt. He hopped from the cart, knowing vault 633 was his, and waited as the goblin opened the cell. Inside sat enormous mounds of gold, silver and bronze, shimmering at him and begging to be spent. James scooped a small bit into a pouch, but that wasn't what he was here for.

In the far corner, situated behind the money, sat a stack of scrolls, small diaries, and maps. James gathered these into a bag and threw it over his shoulder. These were what he was here for - his notes from while he was gone. He had owl'd everything to Sirius, and just as he had asked, Sirius deposited them in his Gringots Vault.

James found his way back to the cart, noticing that as he entered, the others quieted immediately. James smiled subtly at them, and the cart was off again. There was definitely something curious about these two, he thought to himself.

When they reached the surface again, James couldn't investigate his suspicions, however, as the two were immediately lost in the throng of people. James urged himself to forget about them, and made his way down a side street titled "York Road" He made his way to the very end, where a building was situated, looking out of place among the houses around it. He opened the glass double doors in the front, and walked towards the elevators. He jabbed the button for floor 3, and up he went.

Once on floor three, he followed the hallway to Apartment number 32, fished another, this time silver key from his pocket, and jammed it into the hole. It clicked opened, and James pulled open the door. Dust floated around the room - but it looked just as it had when he left.

_The apartment was dark, all the lights were off and the blinds closed. Lily crept towards one of the windows, careful not to trip over any boxes, and ripped the shades apart. The sun gleamed in, reflecting off of her auburn hair. She squinted into the night, and then turned to her partner._

_He grinned back at her, amazed at how he managed to get ahold of such an amazing girl. "It's a little dusty, but it'll do." He joked, wrapping the girl in his arms._

_"It'll do?" She giggled, her face centimeters from hers._

_"It's home, as long as you're here." He kissed her gently, tugging at her soft lips with his teeth._

James shook his head, forgetting the flashback, and set his belongings on the coffee table in the center of the living room. He had work to do. He pushed the memories from his mind.

As James pried open one of the diaries, scraps of paper flew out from between the pages. James chuckled to himself, remembering how he'd circle bits in newspapers, or scribble notes on scraps of paper and simply stuff them into the books. He began to pick up the fallen scraps when he found one that simply said "ALBANIA." in a harsh, crude writing. He knew it was his, but he couldn't remember what significance Albania had been at the time, nor why he wrote so crudely. The piece was crumpled as if it had been jammed into his pocket before kept in the book. With one last quizzical glance at the scrap, he tossed it back inside the book, deciding he'd start with that particular diary later. This would be a long, tedious task, and he needed some reinforcements. He grabbed a spare piece of parchment and began to address a letter to his best, most trusted friend.

* * *

The last thing Lily Evans needed after a day like she'd had was another night at The Leaky Cauldron with James Potter. She pulled off her lime green healers robes and dumped them in the hospitals laundry basket. Why had she ever agreed to cover one of her co-workers shifts? Talia hadn't even been there to keep her company, and it was the busiest night she'd seen in a while. She'd even been forced to help out in the Creature - Induced Injuries ward, which mostly contained stomach-upsetting injuries which Lily had a hard time handling.

Deciding it best not to return to the 'Cauldron, Lily apparated to York Road, not entirely eager to enter her long-time empty flat that she had once shared with James. The sun was rising over the building as Lily went in. While in the Elevator, she fished around for the silver key that she had been ignoring for years. There it sat, at the very bottom of her purse with all the other abandoned objects - spare change, receipts, etc.

She unlocked the door to Apartment 32 and flicked on the light. Everything looked exactly the same as she'd left it. Too tired to inspect the old apartment, Lily made her way straight to the bedroom, dropping her purse on the kitchen counter in the process, and swung open the door. The morning sunrise lit up tiny bits of the bedroom, and instead of even turning on the light, Lily shed her clothes and jumped into the bed.

It was just as comfortable as she remembered. The pillows fit around her head just perfectly, the blanket was warm and soft, the bed simply nestled her body, and James warm body slept peacefully next to hers.

Lilys eyes shot open, and she jumped from the bed.

_Not Again!_

_James eye's fluttered open at the sound of Lily jumping from the bed and landing on the ground with a thud._

"Lily? Be quiet and come to bed." James muttered quietly, still half dreaming.

"Get out of my bed!" She shrieked.

James sat up and rubbed his eyes. "What are you doing here?" He asked, finally.

"Trying to sleep!" She complained.

"I thought you were staying at The Leaky Cauldron?"

"I was! But so were you!"

"I had no intentions of living at a pub, Lily. Especially with the news that I had my old home waiting for me." James yawned, putting his glasses back on finally.

"You're infuriating, James." She huffed, crossing her arms.

"I'm not the one interrupting her ex boyfriends sleep, half dressed. Trying to be promiscuous, Lils?" James smiled mischievously. Lily's mouth dropped as she remembered she was in just her under garments. She snatched up her pants and shirt and pulled them on as quickly as possibly.

"I'm going to sleep on the couch." She replied.

"You'd rather sleep with Sirius than me?" He laughed. Lily turned to face him, halfway out the bedroom door.

"_What?_"

"Sirius fell asleep on the couch."

Lily leaned her head against the door frame. She was absolutely exhausted. "These past few days have been a dream, haven't they? Please tell me I've been dreaming."

"Do you dream of me often?" Questioned James.

"Let me rephrase that. They've been a nightmare." She closed her eyes for a moment, feeling completely and absolutely drained. "I'm going to go back to The 'Cauldron."

James sighed at her obvious exhaustion. "You can't, you'll splinch yourself if you try to apparate, and you'll never make it if you try to walk. Just come to bed. I'll go sleep on the reclining chair."

Lily turned to face him. "I can't ask you to do that. This is your apartment just as much as it's mine."

James gave her a knowing look, and stood from the bed.

"Sleep!" he ordered. Lily yawned again, knowing it was pointless to argue with him. She stumbled over to the bed and fell face-first on top of it. She was nearly immediately asleep.

James paused in the doorway, and looked back at her. Her chest rose and fell in a steady, slow progression. Her red hair was sprayed across her face. He smiled to himself, and then pulled the blanket over his ex-girlfriend. He brushed back her hair, closed the blinds, and left the room.

"Thanks, James." She muttered quietly.

* * *

_Jen Riddle_  
_August 19th 2010_

_Please Review!_


	4. Chapter 4

**Please don't hate me. You guys hate me, don't you? I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! My writers block mixed with my work schedule... bah, I know you wont take my excuses. Please forgive me! I'm trying really hard to work through my blockage, but I'm sinking! Hopefully you guys like this chapter, though! Please don't hate me. Or if you do, tell me how much you hate me in the form of a REVIEW! And don't worry, in the next few days I'll have ATWABCTMW updated too! **

**2nd little tid-bit of news, I started a new story called Chasers, Keepers, and Bludgers. It's a Katie Bell/Oliver Wood story, and it takes place at hogwarts compared to this and my other story. Please review it! I want feedback on it, and I'm getting nothing! I'd love some support! I promise to have that story updated in a few days, as well!**

**Enjoy! - Jen **

* * *

The sun burned through the window shades as Lily stirred in her bed. She groaned audiably and pulled a pillow over her head. It felt early, was it early? Her red hair cascaded over her face as she peeled off the pillow to glance at the clock.

3:34pm.

How on earth was it 3pm? She sat herself up in bed. She'd slept for more hours than she needed, but still felt absolutely exhaused. She reminded herself to never agree to working the night shift ever again. Waking up the next morning (or afternoon) was a painful experience. She unwillingly threw herself off her bed, and placed a hand against the wall to steady her swaying legs. Colors from the blood rushing through her head fogged her eye-sight.

Merlin, she felt awful. Coffee, she needed coffee. Something with caffeine. Anything.

She stumbled from the room, her vision focusing as she made her way to the kitchen. She wondered if there would be anything in there - it had been years since they'd used the apartment. She could smell it though... she could smell coffee.

A fairly fresh pot sat in the coffee maker. Success! She grabbed a mug from the counter over the sink and poured a brimming cup - not even bothering to fill it with cream or sugar. The warm liquid scorched her tongue but she drank it eagerly. She'd finnished a full half of a cup before deciding to make her way to the living room to check if James was still present.

A soft snoring from the living room was the only clue to Lily that she wasn't the only one in the room. James arm was swung over the top of the couch, and his feet poked off the end. Lily peered over the top to see James, glasses askew and mouth partially open, laying atop the blue couch. Papers were scattered across the coffee table, along with a copy of the mornings Prophet situated haphazardly on the top. Lily picked it up and sat down on the reclining chair.

15 minutes later, James eyes flickered open. The red headed girl was the first thing he saw, her nose burried in a copy of the newspaper, an annoyed look across her face, her right hand tapping anxiously on the arm rest of the chair. A small smile flickered across James face as he situated himself upright on the couch, and he ran an eager hand through his hair.

"Morning." He mumbled, his voice foggier than he'd expected. Lily pulled down the paper and peered at her ex-boyfriend.

"Morning." She smiled breifly. James glanced down at his notes spread across the table and quickly began to scoop them up. Lily giggled lightly. "You don't need to clean up for me."

James shrugged, and pushed all the papers into the bag that sat on the floor.

"Thanks for the coffee." Lily added, gesturing to her steaming mug.

"You're welcome. I know how you are in the mornings without it." He grinned.

She scoffed and flipped a page in her paper.

"There's nothing usefull in there." James added. Lily glanced up to meet his expression. They'd both shared a cynical attitude towards the paper, yet they continued to order it anyway, just in case.

"I know, I know." She mutterd and tossed the paper aside. She sipped at her beverage instead. "Maybe some day."

James laughed. "Don't get your hopes up."

Lily rolled her eyes and sighed. "Where's Sirius? I thought he slept here last night?"

"He did." James replied. "But we don't all sleep past 3pm, Lily. Sirius has gone home by now."

Lily tossed a cushy blue pillow across the room at him, he dodged it, as to be expected with years of playing quidditch.

Squeezing the pillow, James took a deep breath. He knew they had things to discuss, but the light hearted feeling in the room did not call for such conversations. Being alone with Lily Evans made his heart race, but he didn't want to scare her away. More than anything, more than his own comfort, he wanted Lily to be happy. Even if that ment he wasn't part of the picture. So who was going to stay in the apartment? Was he supposed to leave, or would she leave? Would they both leave?

James looked around the room, and his mind filled with memories of the two years the two spent living together here. James was in the Auror Academy, and Lily was in her healers training. They'd both return tired and worn out after lond, tiring days, and collapse on the bed next to eachother. Somehow their bodies would muster up enough energy to kiss eachother fervently, and sometimes, other things.

James rubbed his eyes. Those days were long past over. Replaying them in his mind wouldn't bring them back. He and Lily were adults now, those moments were over and done with. They'd grown, and more importantly, grown apart. He knew what he had to do.

"Are you going to be staying here?" He asked, finally. Lily bit her lip, and seemed to find her fingernails particularly interesting as she wouldn't look up from them.

"I have nowhere else to go." She explained quietly. _Coincidence_, thought James almost bitterly. "But it's not fair to you."

Same old, level headed Lily Evans. Always putting everyone else before herself. But James wasn't giving up - this was their home, half and half.

"I'm not making you leave. I can leave." He offered. "It wont be hard for me to find somewhere else to go. I don't have many belongings." He ran an absentminded hand through his hair.

"And I'm absolutely not making you leave." Lily crossed her arms stubbornly.

"I suppose we have two options, then." James played with the hair at the nape of his neck. He somehow knew she'd never agree to the second of the two. "We can both leave, or we can both stay."

Lily was biting her lip again. She looked positively anxious, and a bit nervous, as she toyed with the ideas in her mind. James prayed that she'd stay here with him, but he knew he'd given up the right to have her in his life when he left four years ago. He was well aware of this, and didn't want to press any matters that would push her away.

"James, this is silly. I'll stay with Talia until I find myself a place, and you can stay here." She stood from the chair, brushing down her pants.

"Honestly, Evans, you stay here. I can live with Sirius." James stood also, adjusting his glasses as he did so.

They were right back where they had started. This time, it was Lilys turn to brush a hand through her hair, sending the scent of citrus shampoo in James' direction.

"Alright." Lily sighed. "How about this." She took a deep breath, as if pondering wether or not she wanted to suggest what she was about to say. "What if we both stay here - just until we can find somwhere new. It's stupid for us both to impose on our friends. We can trade off the bed, every other night."

James ran a nervous hand through his hair. Of course, this was exactly what he'd wanted - to stay here, in their flat, just like old times. But his nerves of driving her away wouldn't leave. He didn't want to scare her off.

"I can stay with Sirius, Lily. It's not a problem..." He offered one last time. Lily shook her head.

"It's not a problem for us both to stay here, either." She sat back down in the old arm chair. "Really. I'll start looking for a place today."

James sat on the couch with a sigh. He knew it was impossible to change Lily Evans' mind once she'd made it. She was stubborn, like that. Always was, and always will be. He watched as she pressed her mug to her perfectly pink lips. She really hadn't changed a bit in the past four years. Sure, her worry lines were a bit deeper - that was to be expected with the war going on, and her hair was getting longer... but she was still the same, beautifull woman that he'd fell in love with. The same, beautiful woman that he'd given up in the exact same room he was in now. A pang of regret crushed his heart.

It wasn't as if James regretted leaving - he'd needed to. It was good for him, good for the order, and although Lily didn't realize it, it was consequently good for her as well. He'd been out trying to locate Lord Voldemort, or at the least, some of his hide-outs. There was never really a choice between going and not going, for him. Once the job had been offered, he snatched it up without a second thought.

And of course, he had to break up with Lily before he left. It would have been stupid for him not to. He wasn't about to leave her there, pining for him, when he could only be in contact with her once every now and then. If he was sending constant owls back home, his own hideouts would have been jepordized. The emotional strain that would have caused her... he couldn't bear to think about it. No, she was happier this way. Most definitely. This way, she didn't spend her nights up late worrying about him, and pining for him. She was free to live her own life.

Even if that made him miserable.

He never expected to fall in love with someone else. He never even looked. Lily Evans was his love, and in his mind, no one compared for her. If it came down to it, he supposed, he may settle for someone else... but there was no one quite like Lily. No one even close. No one comparable. And that would only be if he was absolutely and completely positive there was no chance of being with her. If there was even the smallest hope... the tiniest glimmer...

He watched as she emptied her mug and took off towards the kitchen, probably to clean her glass. She was always so clean like that. James, however, was a pig. He was more than used to Lily bickering at him to clean up after himself. Anything from his clothes, to empty cups, to work papers - he left everything everywhere. He supposed it was a family curse - his father ws the same way.

When Lily returned to the room, this time in tidied clothes, with her hair straightened and face washed, she announced that she was leaving.

"Going where?" James asked absentmindedly. He knew it was none of his business, but curiosity and more so habit had inhabited his subconscious.

Lily perked her head up from where she was putting on her shoes. She played with the ends of her hair. "Well... I need my belongings if I'm going to be staying here..."

James hadn't particularly thought about that. He had his things, and besides, he was a boy. He was quite comfortable with wearing the same thing multiple times before doing laundry.

"Do you need help?" He asked politely, but more so out of boredom and desire to be around her. He had no plans today, and anything involving Lily seemed intriguing to him.

Lily shook her head and played with her fingers. "No... no..." She spoke quietly and thoughtfully. "I need to do this alone."

Lily gave him a quick wave, and exited the room. James leaned back against the couch, and imagined the ghost of the couple they used to be... where they'd be sitting in the living room, laughing over something Sirius had done, and talking about a future wedding that, he knew now, would never come. A pang stabbed at his chest, and he knew he had to occupy his time with something else. Thinking of what was and what could have been was no help.

* * *

It was bright and hot outside, and Lily groaned under the late afternoon heat. It was too hot for August. This was the time when the weather should be cooling down. But no, even at 4pm, it was grueling. She scrunched her nose as she walked into Diagon Alley. She was meeting Talia for lunch before she attempted to return to her old home and retrieve her belongings.

Talia was sitting outside of The Dragons Breath cafe, under one of the umbrellaed seats. Lily had always thought this was a disgusting name for a food joint, but enjoyed it none the less. They had a delicious Vanilla Pumpkin drink that she craved every now and then.

"You look well rested." Talia pointed out. Lily nodded - she did, in fact, feel well rested, now that she was properly awake. "Where are you staying? Not the 'Cauldron still, I hope?"

"No, no. I went back to our old apartment." said Lily, over her menu. Hunger was growling at her stomach, and she was ready to divulge in something.

"That place on York Road? I wasn't aware you still owned it." said Talia.

"Technically I don't. It's under James' name." She took a deep breath. "And, well, I was never rude enough to leave him homeless when he returned."

Talia paused mid-sip at her water. "You mean James is there too? James Potter, you ex?"

Lily nodded, hoping to pass off the ordeal as something that wasn't a big deal.

"Honestly, Lily. Come stay with me. Living with your ex boyfriend... when your amist a fight with your current boyfriend -"

"Drake and I are no longer together, Talia." Lily slapped her menu onto the table, causing Talia to jump.

"Hm. Yes, well, you and Drake have taken breaks before. It's not like you've never slept on my couch." Talia crossed her arms.

"He's never cheated on me with his secretary before, either!" fumed Lily.

"Merlin, Lily. You're being ridiculous. You're living with James Potter! Your first love! Don't think I don't remember you two at Hogwarts... 7th year... always sneaking off to hogsmeade... Merlin knows how you even got there, let alone what you were _doing_ there!"

"Excuse me? Are you insinuating that James and I did inappropriate things?" scowled Lily.

"Not then, you were young then. You're not a teenager anymore, Lily. You can't just _live _with your ex boyfriend!" Talia scoffed. "It's not like people wont talk, like no one will find out!"

"What if we're friends? What if James and I are just friends? Can I not live with a friend?" But before Talia could answer, the waiter was at their tables, ready to take their orders. Lily, who had previously forgotten her hunger, quickly ordered a sandwich and Vanilla Pumpkin Juice.

Talia sighed when the man walked away. "Listen, Lily. It's not like your relationship with James has ever been under-wraps. Everyone knows you hated him until your seventh year of Hogwarts, and no one can believe why you ever agreed to date him, though talk of a love potion-"

"-James did not slip me a love potion!" Lily gasped unbelievably.

"Yes, Yes, I know, but then you hated him again when he left - and what, you're just going to forgive him, now? The two of you are just going to live together like nothing ever happened?"

"It's not live I've forgiven him." Lily sipped at her newly delivered drink. "I just need somewhere to live, and I'm not imposing on you."

"It's not imposing, It's being practical." Talia shrugged. Lily rolled her eyes, and quickly changed the subject. It had been four years since her conversations revolved around James Potter, and she wasn't looking to bring it back. She was perfectly content with her life.

"Where are you off to now?" Talia asked, as their empty plates were being cleared from the table.

"Drake's. I need my things. My clothes and such?" Lily gabbed her purse from the chair and stood to leave.

"You just plan to walk in there and gather your things? Good luck." Laughed Talia.

"I'm not about to buy a whole new wardrobe. Besides. Drake works late most days - he may not even be there."

"Again, good luck." Talia shook her head, and gave her friend a quick good-bye hug.

* * *

_Jen Riddle_  
_9-24-10_

_Please Review! _


	5. Chapter 5

**Quick update for you all, since the last one took so long! I'm really, quite proud of this chapter. Though it's kind-of short, there's lots of action, and lots of drama, and I wasn't about to pack yet another scene into it, just to make it longer! I think you guys will enjoy it - but the only way I'll ever know is if you REVIEW! - Jen **

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**Late Nights at The Leaky Cauldron**  
**Chapter 5**

It was growing dark by the time Lily got to her old home with Drake. The porch light was on, but the house was dark. She figured he wouldn't be home - lately, he spent many of his nights at the Ministry, late. Now she knew how suspicious she should have been. His secretary, late nights at work, how had she been so blind? She silently cursed herself for believing in the best in people. Why did she have to be so trusting?

She pulled herself up the front steps, and pulled out her wand. Taking a deep breath to mentally prepare herself, she taped the door-knob while muttering an incantation. The 'key' was a spell - all the better for safety. She heard the clicking of the door unlocking, and slowly wrapped her hand around the door handle.

Was she really prepared for this? Squeezing her eyes shut for a breif moment, she pulled the door open, and flicked on the inside light.

It was messier than when she left. Nothing too bad, but every now and then an odd work shirt would be draped over a chair, or the couch, and the dishes in the sink were piling up. Stacks of work papers covered the dining room table. Lily squeezed her eyes shut for a second time - she had a job to do. She was here for a reason. She had been putting this off for 3 days too long, maybe even more. She should have left before she'd even caught them in the kitchen. Perhaps she hadn't had ever moved in in the first place. Maybe she should have stayed home... should have waited... She shook her head, and pulled herself past the living room and past the kitchen, and into the bedroom.

She flicked the light on. The bed was messy, unmade. She wasn't surprised, really. She'd always been the one to make the bed. She had always been the one to do just about everything. On the bedside counter, a moving picture of herself and Drake smiled up at her. Lily quickly turned it over, so the picture faced the wood of the nightstand, and continued with her mission. She ignored the mess, and pulled a suitcase from the closet. It was a bit dusty - not many people traveled in this time. She then proceeded to pick her clothes from the closet and fold them delicately into the suitcase. Soon, the bag was full, and she had to grab another.

She was halfway into the second suitcase when she heard a door creak and soft laughter come from the living room. Lily froze, her body rigid and chills going up her spine. It sounded like a girls laughter, but that wouldn't make sense...

"Draaake." The girls voice cooed. Lily stopped breathing, hoping to make herself invisible.

Suddenly, the bedroom door slammed open, and if it were possible, Lily became more stiff as her ex boyfriend barged in, with a tall, blond girl with an extremely enlarged chest clinging to his lips, her hands around his neck. Lily recognized the girl immediately as Drakes secretary, Penelope Applerow. She remembered, sickeningly, the night she walked in to the two in the kitchen, her shirt on the floor, his pants around his ankles...

Lily didn't say a word as they fell onto the bed in front of her, making it quiver and creak. She couldn't think, couldn't breath, and couldn't move. She sat frozen, rooted to the spot on the floor where she crouched next to her half full suitcase, her clothes piled inside.

Finally, the girl broke away from him, breathing deeply, a huge grin on her face, and that's when she spotted Lily. She shrieked loudly, causing Drake to turn.

"LILY!" He exlaimed, half in surprise, and half in joy. Lily simply blinked, her mind still blank. "Oh god." He said more quietly, glancing back at Penelope.

"Who is this?" The girl asked, her lips curling in disgust. Drake ignored her, his dark gray eyes not leaving Lily.

"Lily... you're home!" His smile played across his face.

"No... No..." Lily shook her head quickly.

"Draakkkeee!" Whined the the girl.

"Shut it, Penny." He snapped at Penelope, who promptly sunk into the bed, and then he turned back to the red-head. "Have you come to stay?" He asked, jumping off the bed, causing the other woman to fall off and onto the floor with a yelp.

"No!" Scoffed Lily, her thoughts and her feeling finally returning to her. "Are you joking? I'm getting my things!"

"Please, Lily." Drake knelt down to where Lily was sitting on the floor next to her suitcase. "Please, don't leave."

Lily turned to where Penelope Applerow was straightening her skirt, attempting to regain her composure. She laughed, a sick and vile laugh she'd never expect from her own throat.

"Right. Great idea." Lily shook her head, and zipped shut the suitcase. "We can all just live here - the three of us - one big happy family! I'll sleep with the couch while you sleep with the secretary!" She snapped viciously.

"Lily! Stop being so stubborn!" Shouted Drake, as he followed her from the room. He latched onto her wrist as she approached the front door. "Where do you expect to go?" He growled.

"What does it matter to you?" She barked, pulling her wand from her pocket in the mean time, and pointing it at Drakes throat. "Now let go of me."

"You'd attack a ministry employee, at a time like this?" He laughed almost sinisterly.

Lily took a deep breath, trying to forbid her eyes from showing worry. "Are you... are you threatening me?"

"Let's just say it wouldn't look good, Lily." He growled. Disgusted, Lily yanked her arm away from him and lowered her wand. "Now be a good girl, and come home."

"Excuse me?" She snapped, anger boiling in her. "You don't own me, Drake!"

"Own you?" He laughed. "Lily Evans, I could ruin you."

"So you're going to black mail me into staying?" Lily gripped her wand even tighter, if it were possible. "You expect me to stay? You obviously have no morals. You never cared for me."

"Of course I cared about you! I let you move in so you could get out of that home that you shared with your scum of an ex-"

"SHUT UP." She screeched, her wand raising to his face again. "Don't you dare - don't you ever-"

"I never left you! I never bailed on you when things became too rough!" He sneered.

"You don't know what you're talking about!"

"I don't? I don't, Lily?" He laughed. "Do you have any idea how closely I've had him monitored since they day he left? Do you not even realize that we worked in the same department? Do you even know what he's been doing in his time away?"

Lily said nothing, her breathing deep and her wand hand slightly shaking.

"Do you really believe he still loves you? Even cares about you? He dumped you, and moved on. He's been on the road, did you expect him to stay loyal? To spend his nights thinking of you? Of course not! He spent his nights with whatever woman he could get his dirty hands on-"

She slapped him. His face was thrown back, and a red palm print shone across his left cheek.

"Don't you ever come near me again." She said, quietly and calmly. She grabbed her suitcases and stormed out of the door, apparating as soon as she'd made it past the anti-apparation zone, and stormed into her own apartment.

"Ah, you got your things!" James greeted her, smiling. He sat at the kitchen table, his hazel eyes peering at her over a notepad he was scanning.

"Don't you talk to me." She growled, and pulled her suitcases into the bedroom, leaving behind a dumbfounded James. She plopped herself onto the bed, and begged the tears welling into her eyes not to spill over. Her hand stung deeply from where it made contact with Drakes face. She looked down at it - it was much more red than her other one. She pulled it into a fist, and for a third time, squeezed her eyes shut, begging for sleep to come to her.

Who cared if James Potter had slept with other women? He'd left her - abandoned her in the middle of a dangerous war. He'd gone off on his own trip, doing god knows what. He owed her nothing, they'd separated. Whatever, or whoever, James was doing was none of her business.

She tried to remind herself of this continuously as she fell into sleep. James could do whatever he wanted. He wasn't tied down. Besides, it's not as if she still had feelings for him. She despised him for everything he had done to her. He never cared, no one who 'cared' would have left her. Not at a time like that. Not when, at any given time...

She shook her head. She wasn't going to be attacked. And if she was, she was ready. She was prepared for an attack.

And that's when the door to the apartment slammed open.

James jumped up from the kitchen table, his wand out of his pocket before he could even think about doing so. Three wands were pointed in his direction, but his only thoughts were on the safety of the in the bedroom behind him.

"Ah, James Potter. Long time no see." Spoke the middle man.

"What do you want?" James asked, his voice sounding braver than he felt. Three masked men in long black cloaks laughed, but before they could respond, jets of light were being thrown at him with wordless magic. James dodged them under the table, and out of the corner of his eyes, he saw the bedroom door swing open. Lily emerged, the whites of her eyes red and her wand hand wavering. With a quick stunning spell, one of the three men fell to the floor, solid as a rock. James took that opportunity to stun the middle of the three, but in the time he had done that, the third had his wand to Lily's neck, and hers lay forgotten on the floor.

"It's so nice to see the two of you back together. Now, do as I say, Potter, and she'll be fine." He spoke, his voice softer than James had imagined it to be.

"What do you want from us?" James growled, his want pointed at the masked man.

"James..." Whispered Lily, her eyes begging him not to do anything stupid.

"Un-stun one of my friends, Potter." Commanded the man. James caught Lily's eyes.

"James, don't." She whispered. The man jabbed his wand deeper into her neck, practically cutting off her breathing. Although nervous to take his wand away from the man who held Lily hostage, James quickly un-stunned the left-most person.

"Alecto, grab those papers from the table." The man called.

"What about my brother!" The girlish voice shot back as she pulled herself from the ground - the voice seemed sickeningly familiar to James.

"He's only been stunned, you idiot, the papers!" The man growled at her. The girl, who James now recognized to be short, and slightly plump, began to pile James' entire set of notes from his time away into a large bag. Moving his wand from the man who had Lily to the woman stealing his notes, he watched as every detail of the four years he'd spent away was taken from him. When finally the table was empty, and her bag full, the girl returned to where her brother lay spread eagle in the doorway.

"Grab him. You know where to go." The man who had Lily ordered. Suddenly, the three were gone. Lily collapsed to the floor, breathing deeply. James rushed over to her.

"Are you alright?" He asked, bending down to where she sat, offering her a hand to help her up. Lily nodded and ignored his gesture.

"I'm fine. Send word to Dumbledore." She ordered, grabbing her wand from where it lay on the floor. She rubbed at where the wand had been protruding into her neck.

James did as he was told, sending an immediate letter to Albus Dumbledore. As he jotted down, as quickly as possible, the important details, he felt his heart sink.

Every note, every detail, every whisper of his time away was now gone. All he had left were his fuzzy memories. Suddenly, everything he'd done felt like nothing, like he'd left for nothing. He peered over at Lily, who was scribbling a letter of her own. He'd left her for _nothing_.

* * *

"It was all very brief, Dumbledore. Neither of us got hurt, it was very quick... Just took my notes and left..." James spoke quietly as he handed the man a cup of tea. "They broke through my charms. Couldn't have taken them long to do - Lily had just returned home. They even lifted the anti-apparition charm." He ran a hand through his hair. "They took all of my notes. Everything. They know everything we know." James said guiltily. "I'm sorry..."

"Don't be sorry." Spoke the elderly man across the table from him. "You have your memories, James, and those are more powerful than any words you could have written."

"We didn't get much from them." Added Lily. "One of them was a girl... Alecto... short sort of round girl..."

"Ah, Alecto Carrow." Dumbledore nodded, feeling for his beard. "Perhaps the two of you remember her? Just a few years above your own. Slytherin, of course. And her brother, Amycus."

"Yes! She said her brother was with her." Lily racked her brain. "I can't remember them..."

James ran his hand through his hair yet again. A nervous habit, of sorts. Why did the two seem so familiar?

"Gringotts!" He shouted, surprising even himself. Lily jumped, but Dumbledore simply peered at him over his spectacles. "I met them at Gringotts! Just a few days ago... Or, at least, I think I did... It seemed just like them... Yes, it was definitely... I know that voice. They were bickering about something..." He ran another hand through his hair. "They knew... they were there when I grabbed my notes..." He put his palm to his face, hating himself for not being more secretive, for not insisting on a ride of his own... His heart felt like it was in his gut.

"Well, there's nothing to be done about it now." Albus sighed. "James, if you could gather whatever you have, we could journey into the pensive, soon. However, tomorrow is September 1st, and I must be returning to Hogwarts. I've replenished your charms, and added a few of my own. Be safe."

He nodded at the two, giving a short wave, and exited the room. James folded his head into his hands. He heard Lily's chair scrape back and her footsteps slowly disappear as she exited the room. He still had no idea why she was upset with him, he'd just saved her life as he let his entire work for the past four years slip away. Angrily, he stood up, trowing his chair out behind him.

"I'm going for a drink!" He shouted, not entirely caring if she heard him or not. He grabbed his cloak from the rack in the doorway, and stormed out of the apartment. He wasn't about to wait here for a girl who didn't even care enough to give him a thank you after he'd saved her life.

* * *

_Jen Riddle_  
_9-17-10_

_Please Review! _


	6. Chapter 6

**Sorry for the delay, in payment, I'm giving you an extra long chapter. PLEASE review! Let me know you haven't forgotten about me! Also, as my other story came to an end, I've begun a new one called "Class for the Classless". Said story will be updated more than any of my others, as much of it is already written. **

**Please review, I could really use the pick-me-ups after a long work week. :) - Jen**

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**Late Nights At The Leaky Cauldron  
Chapter 6**

"Why wasn't I on my guard? Why hadn't I triple checked my charms? This shouldn't have happened!" James banged his mug against the wooden table with a clunk. He groaned audibly and squeezed his eyes shut temporarily

"You couldn't have known, Prongs. Stop beating yourself up." Spoke Remus Lupin. His eyes had dark circles under them, and his hair appeared quite thin. He looked worse than usual. James knew the full moon had to have been approaching.

"She could have died, Remus. All because of me. She shouldn't be there. I'm too dangerous to her!" James growled.

"You're trying to tell me about dangerous, James?" Remus laughed, almost bitterly.

"You know what I mean!" James sighed. "I need to leave. I can't stay here. I can't put her in danger. Now that they know... they know everything..."

"She can take care of herself." said Remus, before taking another sip of his butterbeer. Remus didn't usually partake in drinking. He claimed he had enough out-of-mind experiences that he didn't need to add to it.

"And it'll be much easier for her if I'm no where to be seen!" James crossed his arms.

"Don't be stupid, Prongs. From what you're telling me, they already think you're together again. They wont leave her alone if they want to find you."

James ran another nervous hand through his hair. "I can't put her through this. It's not fair. I shouldn't have left. I should have stayed. I should have kept her safe. I'm so unbelievably selfish!"

Remus sighed, and straightened up in his chair. "You made your decision - four and a half years ago when you decided to join the order. You knew that you'd be giving up everything, that things wouldn't be easy. But don't you remember why you're doing this? Did you forget why you left in the first place? To protect her, and everyone like her. If we don't stop him, every single muggle born will be extinct. She wont be here anymore. I know as well as anyone that Lily doesn't need protecting... but imagine if you weren't there... My advice... Don't let her out of your sight."

James took a deep breath. Of course, he was well aware that Remus was correct. But that didn't exactly make him feel any better. He still hated himself for everything ... for leaving her, for wanting to be near her, for putting her in danger... everything. If anything ever happened to her, he would never forgive himself.

"You love her. Don't give up." said Remus. He put down his empty mug and stood up. "Now, get home. I've got to go as well." He waved goodbye, and apparated from The Leaky Cauldron.

James leaned back against his chair and peered around the room. A few dozen customers were chatting and drinking around the bar and at the tables. Tom, the bartender, was chatting animatedly to an old man with a giant, grizzled beard. James ran a hand through his hair. He really should be going home.

* * *

"Is... is that room still available, Talia?" Lily asked, as she pulled her hair into a bun. Her friend, who was fastening her lime green healers robes, peered up at her from the button she was working on.

"Of couse! Have you decided to leave, then?" She asked curiously, obviously trying to hide the glee in her face.

"Well... I..." Lily took a deep breath. "I got my things last night, and after what happened with the... the death eaters..."

"You're leaving because your house got attacked by death eaters? Are you trying to hide? I have to confess, we don't have the best security..." said Talia with slight worry.

"No, no it's not that. I talked to Drake last night." Lily confessed. Talia's eyes lit up.

"Are you guys getting back together?" She asked, excitedly. Lily furrowed her brow, thourougly confused as to why she wanted her and Drake together.

"No, no. Oh, God, no." Lily laughed nervously. "I just... I... we... I really don't think I should be there. You were right. It's not good for me or for him..."

Talia smiled. "My couch is always welcome to you, Lily." She put her arm on Lilys shoulder. "Now, there's a witch in ward 4 thats sprouting feathers." Lily nodded, she knew what she had to do. Staying with James was a silly fantasy that was in her mind for only a moment. Her subconscious, the part that missed the love she'd experienced with James over 4 years ago had wanted it to return. She had to be realistic, to be mature. She wasn't in school anymore.

* * *

James sat awkwardly at the kitchen table, his eyes glued to the door. Lily should be home any minute. He'd found her work schedule spell-o-taped to the refrigerator. He had to talk to her... he had to apologize for getting her into this mess... to apologize for leaving in the first place. She had to know that he still cared about her... that he missed her and wanted her back. If she didn't...

The door swung open and Lily walked in, looking slightly frazzled and tired. She gave a quick wave to James before storming right past him and into the bedroom. James cleared his throat and followed her.

"Listen, Lily, I'm... what are you doing?" He paused as he watched the red-head pile her things back into her suitcase.

"Packing. I'm going to live with Talia." She said simply. James gulped.

"You're leaving?" He asked with a slight squeak to his voice. "No, Lily, I'm sorry - don't leave." He apologized.

"I can't live with you, James. This is ridiculous! I'm sorry I ever proposed the idea in the first place." She smiled slightly, and opened the bedside drawer to pull out the t-shirts she'd packed in there.

"You can't leave!" He protested, almost too loudly. Lily paused and turned to face him.

"Of course I can." She laughed. "Why shouldn't I?"

_I need to protect you. You need to stay because I need to know you're okay. You need to be within my sight at all times. I need you here._

He stared at her green eyes, wondering how to say the things he wanted to say. "Be-because. You can't. You need to stay." He said stupidly. Lily laughed.

"This will be easier, James. I'll only live with Talia for a short while, I've got plenty of money to get my own place, I just have to find one that suits me..." She began to pile things into her bag again.

It seemed so much easier for James to think the things he wanted to say rather to say them straight out when she stood in front of him - the love of his life - preparing to leave. He supposed it had always been a curse. He'd never been able to find the right words to say around Lily Evans.

"It's not safe." James said quietly.

"I can take care of myself." She replied, not looking at him. He watched as she tensed up a bit.

"They think we're together again." He added. She tensed up even move, and coughed slightly.

"Well, they'll figure out they're wrong." She nodded. "And I can take care of myself."

"It doesn't matter. They think I'm in love with you." said James. Lily smiled politely.

"They obviously don't know what they're talking about."

James wanted so bad to tell her that they were right. That he loved her with everything he had. Somewhere between his brain and his lips the words got lost.

"James, I'll be fine. You weren't there protecting me for the last 4 years, you don't need to be here now." said Lily. James' heart sunk into his stomach, and he slowly backed from the room.

She was right, after all.

Lily sunk onto the bed, the expression on James' face etched in her mind. The way his mouth opened slightly, and his eyes lifeless. The way his hand, halfway towards being ran through his hair, fell to his side, limp. She took a deep breath. She hadn't exactly meant to say that - not like she did, at least. But where was James to protect her for the last four years? Why should she need him now? She could protect herself, she didn't need him. All she needed was her trusty willow wand, and her memory. She didn't _need_ James Potter. And just as she thought that, he walked away.

She pulled open the last, bottom drawer, maybe too harshly. A small blue box rolled from the back end to the front. Slightly stunned, Lily wrapped her slim fingers around it. What was a jewelry box doing in the dresser? Lily didn't own much jewelry, and especially not anything to be received in a velvety blue box. She pried the gold clasp open, and inside sat a shinning, silver colored ring with One large diamond in the center, and two smaller ones on the side.

An engagement ring.

Lily dropped the box as if it were boiling, and stared at where the ring fell out onto the floor. It glimmered as the sun light reflected off of it.

What in Merlins name was an engagement ring doing in the apartment? James had never proposed to her... never given the inclination... never said anything that would have made her thought...

So what was it doing here?

Trying to push all memories of their previous relationship aside, Lily scooped the box into her hand and deposited it back into the drawer. She had to leave. Wasting time was no longer an option. She grabbed her bags and exited the room.

James was sitting in the living room, his feet propped up on the coffee table and a troubled expression on his face. He didn't say a word as Lily silently crossed the room, pulled open the oak door, and was gone. Overwhelming guilt washed over him. He'd felt alone for four years, but never _this_ kind of alone. The non-self-inflicted alone. Was this how Lily felt when she watched James' leave four years ago? Like a rock had crushed through your lungs, and something was pushing your lunch up from your stomach, and simultaneously pulling your heart down to your bladder?

James had spent the first 18 years of his life never feeling sorry for himself. He'd always been proud of who he was, and, all cruel pranks aside, what he'd done. Since he'd come back, why had it been a constant string of bringing himself down?

A life without Lily just wasn't a life at all.

* * *

Talia's house was small, but loud. As Lily rang the doorbell she heard a loud, deep bark, and the sound of running. The porch light flickered on and the door was pulled open. In front of her stood a tall, dark haired man, whose smile caused dimples in his cheeks.

Before Lily could say anything, a large brown dog squeezed past the man and jumped on Lily, placing his front paws near her shoulders.

"Canon!" Cried both Lily and the man, in apposing tones. The man latched his hand around the dogs collar and pulled him back inside the house. A few moments later, Lily heard the sound of a door closing shut, and then he returned.

"Lily!" He grinned, and pulled her into a tight, crushing hug.

"Hi, Alvin. Thank you for taking me in. I'll try not to impose!" She promised as she pulled her suitcases inside. Alvin, Talia's husband, grabbed one from her and shook his head.

"Not at all, Lily. You're a delightful house guest. Now, we've got the couch all ready for you. Talia is making dinner. The twins are doing Merlin knows what - causing trouble, that's for sure." He laughed his deep, booming laugh. Lily couldn't help but smile. Alvin and Talia had a pair of 4 year old twins who were seemingly still stuck in the "terrible twos" mindset. While delightfully sweet and bright, they also had a knack for causing messes.

"Thanks, Al." said Lily. He patted her on the back, and led her to the kitchen where Talia was stirring a bowl of something with her wand.

"Ah, you're here!" She grinned. Lily nodded.

"Thank you, again."

"Oh stop. You can repay us by babysitting the twins so Al and I can have a night or two to ourselves." Talia winked over the steam from the boiling bowl in front of her.

"Of course!" Lily laughed for a moment at her friends roguish attitude. "Whats the occasion?" she asked, gesturing to all the food.

"Ah, the Chudely Canons are playing the Holyhead Harpies tonight. We'll be listening over the wireless."

"I see." Lily nodded. Alvin was a solid Chudely Canons fan, he listened in on as many games as his work schedule would allow, and a few times a season, he'd have the opportunity to attend games. "Do you need help?" Lily asked, gesturing towards the bowls of steaming food on the stove. Talia quickly shook her head.

"No, No, I'm just about done. The boys are outside somewhere, will you grab them for me?" She asked. Lily nodded, and exited through the back door. The warm night air encompassed her as she stepped under the porch light. June bugs fluttered around the light, entranced by it. She watched as the two four year old boys ran around the yard, pointing sticks at eachother and pretending to shoot spells. One of the boys, Aldred, fell to the ground after the other boy, Josef, shot a "stunning" spell at him.

"Oof, you got me, Joey!" Aldred cried from him his place in the grass.

"You're stunned, Al, you can't talk!" Josef complained. Aldred made a motion as if to "zip" his lips, and then turned his head to the side with his tongue sticking out. His eyes widened as he spotted Lily, and he jumped up from his spot.

"Lily! Come play!" He ran towards her. Lily laughed lightly.

"It's dinner time, Al. Come on, lets go eat!" She ruffled the boys hair. Josef ran up to them as well.

"Five more minutes, please?" Pleased Josef. Lily shook her head.

"Your mothers orders, come on, you don't want cold food!"

"Al is stunned! He can't come in now!" Josef crossed his arms with a frown. Lily pulled her wand out of her pocket, muttered a bogus spell, and tapped Aldreds head.

"He's not stunned any more. Lets go eat!" She grabbed the boys hands and led them inside.

"Ah! There you are! I thought you'd been pulled into a game with them." Talia laughed as she placed a loaf of warm bread on the table. The delicious smell of home cooking ran through the room.

"Are you living here again, Lily?" Aldred asked as his mother put some vegetables onto his plate. He scrunched his nose at them.

"For a few days." Lily shrugged.

"What about your house?" Josef asked.

"Oh... well..." Lily ran a hand through her hair. She didn't exactly _have_ a house.

"You should stay here forever." Aldred nodded as he bit off a piece of bread.

"That's enough, boys." Talia commanded, noticing how uncomfortable Lily was getting.

Lily sighed. Imposing on her friends was never something she enjoyed. For once in her life, she wanted to be on her own. Without someone else breathing down her neck. She'd never had that. As soon as she left Hogwarts, she moved in with James. When he left, she lived alone for a short while - in his apartment - until she moved in with Drake. She had always prided herself on being independent. Just what was she doing now? Being completely and totally _Dependant. _

She stood suddenly from the table. Talia raised her eyebrows at her friend.

"Thank you so much for the offer, Talia... but I... well... I really can't stay here." Lily smiled at her friend. "I'm sorry."

She moved to the other room and grabbed her bags. Just as she was reaching the front door, Talia grabbed her wrist.

"Where are you going?" She asked in a low voice.

"I can't do this." Lily admitted. "I need to... I need to go."

"Go _where_?"

"I need to be on my own." Lily said simply.

"You don't have a home, Lily."

These words struck Lily harder than she expected. This was something she knew, of course. But she was determined to find one. There had to be somewhere she could go...

"I do." Lily whispered. "I just have to find it."

She kissed Talia's cheek, who looked as if someone had obliviated her, and apparated away.

The doorway of the Leaky Cauldron looked oddly familiar as she stood in front of them.

"I need a room, Tom." Lily told the bartender. Tom nodded, and rounded the corner, grabbing her bags for her. He led her to a room on the upper floor, and handed her the key.

"Welcome back, Miss Evans." He nodded to her, and departed back to the bar.

* * *

Remus sipped at his water idly. Sirius and James were laughing about something Sirius had seen during a raid at the ministry (which led Remus to wonder how Sirius had ever gotten a job in the Auror's office in the first place). He watched as a young girl walked in, two suitcases in hand, and asked Tom for a room. Tom obliged, and led the girl to upstairs. As she turned, Remus' eyes widened as he watched Lily Evans trail the old barman, who was now carrying her bags, to a room in the Leaky Cauldron.

"You look like you've seen a ghost, Moony." James mentioned. He looked around the bar, hoping to catch what had caught Remus' eye.

"Hmm?" Remus asked, immediately bringing his attention back to his friend. He tried to calm his expression. He knew whole-heartedly that letting James know that his ex was in the same building would not be a good idea. "No. No, I just... I thought... nevermind." He shook his head. "I've got to use the restroom, though. I'll be back shortly."

"Alright." James said slightly skeptically. Remus watched out of the corner of his eye to make sure James and Sirius weren't watching him, and he sneaked up the staircase.

Once on the top floor he pulled out his wand. "Homenum Revelio" He muttered as he walked down the hall. Eventually the spell alerted him that someone was in room 11, and simultaneousness, he heard Lily Evans shriek, and she pulled open the door to said room, he wand pointed straight in Remus' face. Remus silently cursed himself, remembering that the spell caused the person being relieved to feel whooping feeling across them.

"What are you..." She muttered, their wands still pointed at each other.

"Hi, Lily." He smiled, returning his wand to his pocket. Lily faltered for a moment, and then did the same. "What are you doing here?"

"What am _I_ doing here?" She asked, a bit loudly.

"Shhh." Remus ordered. "James and Sirius are downstairs. Lets go inside." He motioned towards her room. Lily looked as if she were about to puke, and returned to her room as Remus had suggested.

"Now, what are you doing here?" He asked again. The redhead sat on the bed, allowing it to groan.

"Where else am I supposed to go, Remus?" She said quietly.

"Home?" He said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Yes, well, once you tell me where that is, I'll be glad to go there." Lily snapped bitterly.

Remus sighed and sat down next to his old friend.

"I'm sorry, Remus, I've had a long few days..." She sighed. "I feel so... lost."

"Ah." Remus placed his hand on Lily's leg. "We're young. We're supposed to feel that way."

"Not this lost. I'm homeless, Remus. I'm homeless, and I'm alone, and I'm ... well... I'm scared."

"You're not alone. You'll never be alone. You have so many people who care for you." He assured her. "And as far as being scared, that's understandable. You've been through a great deal. And what with the war..."

"Can't you just tell me what to do?" She asked sadly.

"You're not a kid anymore." He reminded her.

"I wish I were. Things were so much easier when we were in school." Lily looked up at him, sadness relevant in her green eyes. "Please, tell me what to do."

"Go home with James." He suggested. He knew it wasn't what she wanted to do, but he also knew that that was where she belonged.

"With James." She repeated dumbly. "Splendid idea. Then he can leave me again, and I'll be left alone to fend for myself while he's off galavanting with Merlin knows how many women! Great, just absolutely superb idea, Remus."

Remus stood. "You asked me what you should do. Don't get mad at me when it's something you don't want. I'm not your father, Lily. At least with James, you were safe. You _know_ James would never let you get hurt."

"Unless it's him doing the hurting! How quickly you all seem to forget that he _left _me!" Lily roared.

"He left you to protect you!"

"To protect me? Yes, because leaving me, a muggleborn, alone is such great forms of protection."

"You're so stubborn, Lily! Open your eyes! He left to find _him_. You're being very selfish about this, you do realize that, don't you? Do you not think he cares? Do you think he's not being torn apart right now? He never expected you to hate him when he returned!"

"He broke up with me, was I supposed to wait for him?" She fumed. Her eyes were filled with anger.

"You weren't supposed to _hate_ him!" Remus growled. "You're being so immature!"

She folded her arms across her chest.

"Yes, and what about all the other women he was with while I was gone?" She asked.

"_What_ other women? Lily, you're the only woman James has ever loved, and since he fell in love with you, he hasn't so much as noticed another woman!"

"You expect me to believe that he was loyal for four years - when we weren't even together?" She raised a questioning eyebrow at Remus.

"You know what, Lily? Believe what you want. You don't _deserve_ everything he's done for you. That man downstairs cares for you more than he cares for anyone. So much that he's let you do as you please - he's let you walk all over him - hoping that maybe one day you'll realize what he's done. The sad part is that he'll never stop. He planned to marry you as soon as he returned, and for his sake, I'm glad he never got the opportunity to ask you." He stormed from the room and slammed the door shut behind him.

Lily sat at the edge of the bed, staring at her reflection in the mirror. Her hair was disheveled, and her eyes growing red. Lily had never known Remus to yell. In the 10 plus years she had known him, he had never once raised his voice at Lily, or anyone from what she could remember. He was the most honest man she had ever met... What had she gotten herself into?

* * *

_Jen Riddle_  
_10-27-10_

_Please Review! _


	7. Chapter 7

**I have a hunch you guys are going to adore this chapter. :] It's simple, and there's not much action, but it's important. It's big. Let me know what you think! I would love to hear from you in some reviews! Happy Halloween, and since I'm sadly too old to go trick-or-treating, I'll happily take reviews instead of candy! - Jen**

* * *

**Late Nights at The Leaky Cauldron**  
**Chapter 7**

_There was something in the distance. Something small and... wooden. A hut, maybe? Or possibly a house. A very small house. Surrounded my trees, and with vines creeping up the edges._

_James rubbed his eyes a few times - was he imagining this? He had to be. It had been days since he'd seen anything besides trees and the occasional woodland animal- he was getting delusional. He took a deep breath and suddenly shivered as the cold wind brushed across his arms. He looked up to where few wispy clouds covered the purple-blue sky, and sparkling stars were scattered everywhere._

_It was a full moon._

_He took a deep breath, wondering how his friends were doing back home. He prayed that Peter and Sirius were taking good care of Remus. He knew he'd be going crazy right now. He knew Remus would be howling, and feeling miserable afterwards. His breath was caught in his throat as he prayed that they were all alright. They always had this order - then the four of them were together. They know, collectively, just now to manage Remus' "furry little problem." Without James ... he wondered if they managed all right._

_It had been two months since he had had any contact with anyone. _

_"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." He whispered to no one. He hoped that maybe, somehow, they would know he was thinking about them. James though back to the silver handled mirror back at his hotel - how he wished he could talk to Sirius right then. To make sure that they could handle this, his being gone. Maybe if he knew that everyone else was okay... maybe, just maybe then _he_ could be okay._

_He brought his eyes away from the moon, knowing that it wouldn't make any difference. He knew they were okay. They were strong. They _had_ to be alright._

_James pulled his cloak tighter around him, and dug into the pocket to find his Invisibility Cloak. If the building in front of him was in fact not a mirage, then he was eager to be inside of it. It was cold, and he was tired. He was tired of sleeping in the musty old Tent that was at one point, before his passing, his Grandfathers. It smelt of old cigars and cat hair could be found in every corner._

_He trudged forwards, practically dragging himself along. Every movement of his legs felt like a knife going through his muscles. But the cabin wasn't moving. It was growing larger - closer._

_Finally, he reached the small wooden door. His hand grasped around the brass handle, its cold stinging a bit, and he pulled it open._

_"Lumos." He muttered into the dark. The tip of his wand illuminated the room. A bed sat in the far corner, it's blankets calling to James to fall onto it. He looked around the room for the fireplace, and shot a spell towards it, causing the logs to ignite. James immediately basked in the warmth, and pulled off the invisibility cloak. The hut was empty, he hadn't needed it after all._

_He moved towards the small make-shift kitchen, and grabbed the kettle, filling it with water from his wand. He pulled open the cabinets, throwing aside cans of expired food until he found some tea bags._

_As he waited for the water to heat, he plopped himself into the bed, feeling the pains of his tiring day wear off of him. He sunk into the blankets, letting them encompass his body. They smelt of pine and ...mint?_

_He sighed, and pulled the coverings around him. It wasn't home, but it would do._

_The kettle began to whistle at him, and if it weren't for the annoying sound it emanated, he wouldn't have gotten up. His feet hurt even worse than they had previously as he made his way the few steps towards the steaming water. Finding a mug, he poured it to the brim and dipped in a tea bag._

_His eyes drooped as he sipped at it, letting it scorch his cold throat._

_It wasn't anything like the tea he was accustomed to waking up to when he lived with Lily. He didn't know what he did, but she made it the best. Better than even the Hogwarts elves. Lily didn't even drink tea, she drank coffee ever since she'd become a healer. He knew she didn't like the early mornings, and the caffeine was her only sustenance._

_Still, every morning, without fail, it was there waiting for him. It was just one of those things that she did. It was one of those things that made Lily, well, Lily._

_While it was bittersweet, he knew that soon he'd be home, and back with her. He could finally, finally propose to her. He could be the man she'd always dreamed of. He could give her everything, just as he'd promised in the first place. Finally, things could be problem free, and they could live old together._

_Just a little while longer, and he'd be back home._

_The door to the cabin slammed open, and James dropped the mug, causing it to shatter around his feet and warm liquid to seep into his toes_

_A particularly frightening man stood in the doorway, his wand raised to James._

James awoke with a start. It wasn't the first time he had dreams of this nature. Every single time they ended as soon as he looked into Voldemort's red, daring eyes.

He was sweating. It was covering his entire body and dripping down his face. He wiped a bit from his brow, and the bridge of his nose, and put his glasses on, allowing his room to come back into view.

It certainly felt real. It felt just as the forests in Albania had... but he hadn't seen anything when he was _really_ there... there was never a Voldemort... there was never a cabin...

He remembered everything, though. He felt as if the dream had been an extreme case of Deja Vu. That it actually happened, and for some reason, he couldn't remember it. It had been so vivid... from every thought, to every movement, and every feeling...

It had been so _real_. He just couldn't _remember_ it.

He ran a hand through his hair. Was that even possible? Why would Voldemort modify his memory, but not kill him?

James rolled off the bed, and peeled off his nightshirt which clung to his stomach from sweat. He deposited it on the side of the bed, and made his way to the kitchen to get a glass of water.

The first thing he noticed was that a lamp was on in the living room. Odd, because James had particularly remembered turning off the lights when he retired for the night. Perhaps he had a few to many firewhiskey's at the 'Cauldron, and had forgotten...

He filled up a glass in the sink, and downed a gulp before making his way to the living room. He leaned carefully over, about to turn off the light, when the sight before him made him drop his glass - just as he had in his dream. It shattered on the edge of the couch and cool water spilled all over the sleeping form on top of it.

Lily Evans jolted awake, gasping.

"Oh shit! Lily, I'm sorry! I'm_ so_ sorry!" He stared in awe at what had just happened, not knowing what to do. She spit bits of water from her lips, and pushed her now sopping hair from her face.

"James - why...?" She panted, her green eyes glaring up at him. She seemed to tired to form coherent sentences.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry. I was turning off the light... you shocked me. Look, I'll get you a towel."

Embarrassed, James dashed towards the bathroom closet, and grabbed a white fluffy towel from the shelf. When he returned, Lily was standing, squeezing water from her hair.

"None of the glass cut you, did it?" He asked.

"I'm fine." She said in a tired voice.

"It's just... I thought you were staying at Talia's... I-"

"Don't worry about it." She said, again, taking the towel from him.

"Go sleep in the bed. I'll fix this." He urged. She shook her head.

"It's fine, James." She said, yet again. "I'm imposing... I shouldn't have... go back to sleep."

James shook his head. "I can't."

"You can't what?" She asked. She tossed the towel onto the couch, hoping to dry some of the water from the couch.

"Sleep. I can't sleep." He added. Lily sighed.

"You don't know a spell to find bits of broken glass, do you?" She laughed hopelessly.

James shook his head. "Look, just go to the bed. I'll take care of this."

"No thank you." She said again. James watched her, her eyes seemed droopy and tired, like she hadn't slept properly in days. He sat down on the couch and began to pick up piece of broken glass by hand. Lily took a seat next to him.

"You're stubborn." He pointed out.

"Yes, so I've heard." She said, yawning as she did so. James couldn't help but smile at her small yawn, and the way she brought her hand to her mouth as if to cover it.

He placed the larger pieces of glass on the table and turned to her. "I thought... I thought you left." He paused. "Not to sound rude, or anything. I'm ... we'll... I'm glad you're back... but... I mean..."

"Staying with Talia isn't right. It's not... _home_." She shrugged.

"And this is?" He asked, possibly more hopeful sounding than he had intended. "We must be one dysfunctional family."

"It beats The Leaky Cauldron." She shrugged.

"You're always welcome here, Lily." He smiled at her. Lily nodded.

"Thank you, James." She stared at the floor for a moment. "Listen..."

She paused again, as if debating what she really wanted to say, and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry for... for being so rude to you, I suppose."

"I probably deserved it." James muttered, slightly confused.

"No, no you didn't." Lily answered honestly. She had been feeling guilty since her encounter with Remus hours ago. She wasn't even sure how she'd managed to fall asleep in the first place, what with her conscious eating away at her and such. "I've been intolerable. It's just been hard."

"Since I've been home?" He asked.

"Since... well..." She paused, a lump in her throat. "Since you left, really."

James gulped.

"I ... well... I don't deserve you. You've been nothing but kind to me." She said quietly, staring staight out of the windows in front of her. The sun was rising in the distance.

"Deserve me?" James repeated. He was obviously dumbfounded as to what his ex-girlfriend was even talking about.

"Yes." She nodded. "I get it, now. I didn't, then. You didn't leave selfishly. You didn't leave to be the hero, like I'd built up in my head."

"I tried telling you this." He mentioned.

"I know."

"And you wouldn't listen."

"I know."

"I told you it was all for you."

"James,_ I know_."

She squeezed her eyes shut, begging herself not to cry. How had she been so stupid? How had she let this become such a mess?

"Can we be friends again? I know... I know I don't deserve that. I don't deserve to even have you in my life. I've been awful... but... can we?" She asked, her eyes pleading into his.

He paused, his heart sinking. Friends. Friends with Lily Evans.

"Friends." He repeated. She nodded.

"I wont stay here, if you don't want me to..."

"No, Lily. You can stay." He assured her. "I'd love to be your friend."

"Thank you, James. Thank you for forgiving me." She leaned up and kissed his cheek.

The feeling of her lips on his skin was pure euphoria. It tingled as she pulled away.

They sat in silence for a few moments after that. Eventually, Lily's body loosened, and her head fell onto James shoulder, asleep. Her soft hair cascaded across his bare chest, his sweaty shirt was still forgotten on his bedside. He liked the way if felt... he _missed_ the way it felt.

He let a smile play across his face. So she had forgiven him, he supposed. He wasn't sure what happened in the past 24 hours - she seemed to hate him earlier that day - but he would accept it. And now she was asking for forgiveness? He wasn't even sure what she had done wrong.

He pulled a strand of her hair away from her eyes. Luck was on his side, that night.

Eventually, he scooped her into his arms, and carried her to the bed, placing her gently as possible on top of it, and pulling the comforter above her. Bravely, he kissed her forehead and bid her goodnight. The dream he had woken up to was temporarily forgotten as he watched her sleep. It was almost astonishing to him how much he wanted to crawl into the bed beside her, and curl up next to her. His heart nearly ached for it. But, well, that wasn't something _friends_ did.

He pulled himself away, knowing that if he didn't, he wouldn't catch a blink of sleep, and made his way to the reclining chair in the living room. It wasn't the most comfortable, but it would do. He could pick the pieces of glass from the couch tomorrow. Now... he had to sleep.

The next morning, when James awoke, a pot of tea was on the stove. The crick in his neck from sleeping in the chair suddenly didn't seem so bad.

* * *

_Jen Riddle_  
_10-30-10_

_Please Review! _


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